Temminck’s Tragopan

Tragopan temminckii

The male inflates a vivid blue-and-crimson lappet for courtship. Himalayan forest royalty who delivers.

Population: 67,000–340,000 mature individuals (2009 estimate underlying the current assessment; population trend decreasing but suspected at <5% over three generations)
Habitat: Temperate montane forest and shrubland, typically at 2,000–3,600 m elevation; strongly forest-dependent and an altitudinal migrant (moves to lower elevations in winter)
Fun fact: Males display an extraordinary courtship show, inflating a hidden blue-and-scarlet throat lappet (or "bib") and a pair of blue horn-like skin projections from behind the eyes, both of which are otherwise invisible when deflated.
Range: Eastern Himalayas and southern/central China through northern Myanmar to northwestern Vietnam (Tonkin); found in mainland China, far northeast India, Myanmar, and Vietnam, with an estimated extent of occurrence of ~1,560,000 km²
Diet: Omnivorous forager on the forest floor and in low shrubs: berries, seeds, leaves, shoots, grasses, and invertebrates such as insects
Size: 0.64 m
Lifespan: 15 years

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